The Green Cross Code not only appears to be useful to pedestrians, but also those in debt!
Arriving in the office early morning, my coffee secure on my desk, it wasn’t long before the rest of the world awoke and the phones started ringing.
The first caller was a client of ours (for the purpose of this blog, we shall call him Joe). Like many people right now, Joe has debt problems due to his unsecured credit commitments and has found it hard to keep his head above water without having to borrow from Peter to pay Paul. He told us an interesting story.
Whilst sat at home searching the job sites, his phone rang and the caller identified himself as, for the purpose of this blog, “Bob” , an employee of a company who had all the answers and was offering to “audit” Joe’s unsecured credit agreements. He claimed they could get his debts written off . As you could imagine, Joe was thrilled and already thanking his lucky stars to receive a call from such a nice person as Bob.
Joe listened intently to how the audit would be carried out and how Bob believed they could find a way to write off all his debt. Finally Joe asked about payment for this service as so far, Bob hadn’t mentioned it. “Oh… there’s just a small fee upfront” he told Joe, “purely a formality to get the ball rolling”. Now, small or not, the funds for this “start up” fee was money Joe didn’t have. But after discussing this with Bob, he was re-assured that although borrowing money to pay this fee would put him further into debt, in the long run it would be the best investment Joe had ever made and could be the answer to all his prayers. This, Bob told him, could be the beginning of a better life. A fresh start.
Although Bob couldn’t see Joe on the other end of the phone, he suspected, as with his previous calls of the day, that Joe was nodding in agreement and was moments away from saying that magic word… “Yes!”. What he didn’t count on, was Joe hesitating one minute too long….long enough for him to question one more thing…..if their refund policy would return his payment to him if the claim was unsuccessful. “Of course” said Bob, though this time, it was Joe who heard the hesitation and realised that despite him desperately wanting this to be genuine, as the old saying goes….if something appears to be too good to be true then it is.
So, playing blind man’s bluff, Joe smiled down the phone and told Bob he would gladly pay the fee as long as he was able to review a copy of the contract with his solicitor.
Click.
His generous new friend, Bob, who was going to take all his worries away had actually hung up on him! What spectacular customer service! What a lovely man 
This just goes to show how important it is for consumers and introducers alike to be wary of companies offering these services. It’s always best to check them out thoroughly before committing to anything. Are they transparent enough? And are they working in the best interests for you or your client? And most importantly, remember your Green Cross Code….
Stop – take a moment to think about the situation and the proposal at hand.
Look – take time to look at the company’s website and research what they have told you to ensure you have all the details…even the smallprint!
Listen – Listen to what they are saying. Is it too good to be true? Listen to your own instincts and don’t rush into anything. If it’s genuine, it’ll still be there tomorrow.
